Genesis says, the GV90 has the "world’s first independently opening and closing hidden B-pillar coach door."Miranda Light/The Globe and Mail
If the European luxury automotive establishment wasn’t already looking over its shoulder, Genesis’s reveal of its full-size, all-electric GV90 flagship SUV Wednesday night in San Francisco ought to cause a few sleepless nights across the Atlantic.
Against the backdrop of the Palace of Fine Arts, Genesis showed of a vehicle that looks much more like a Rolls-Royce than other vehicles in its lineup and is a far cry from the Hyundai Pony. It has plush, leather reclining seats with foot rests, real wood, wool cashmere, mood lighting and pillarless suicide doors. It’s as if Genesis engineers and designers looked at a Rolls-Royce and said, “hold my beer.”
This is from the same parent company that redesigned the Hyundai Santa Fe with a boxy silhouette that resembles a Land Rover Defender and the Kia Telluride that borrows design cues from a Range Rover.
While Genesis hasn’t revealed the price, the GV90 is expected to compete against the BMW iX7, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and Range Rover PHEV.
The GV90 has an imposing 5.3-metre-long silhouette and in this version 24-inch forged wheels.Miranda Light/The Globe and Mail
In less than a decade, Hyundai’s luxury arm has evolved from an ambitious newcomer with just one sedan to a complete lineup with more sizes of sedans, luxury SUVs, electric vehicles, high-performance cars and a racing division that competed in the Hypercar category this year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Genesis became the fastest luxury brand ever to reach one million sales, built on distinctive design, class-leading innovation and a relentless focus on our customers,” José Muñoz, chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor Company, said in a statement.
The GV90, especially the top trim, takes a big step up in the luxury department for Genesis. It has an imposing 5.3-metre-long silhouette inspired by, Genesis says, the restrained elegance of traditional Korean moon jar ceramics. Genesis has opted out of gaudy spoilers and superfluous lines in favour of flush lighting and commanding 24-inch forged wheels.
As Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer of Hyundai Motor Group, said in a statement, “True luxury is revealed not through addition, but through reduction, until only the essential remains.”
Genesis showed off the interior features after it was revealed Wednesday night in San Francisco. It has seats with leg rests and front seats that swivel 180 degrees when parked.Miranda Lightstone/The Globe and Mail
The GV90 will come either in the three-row, family-style configuration with traditional doors or the top-of-the-line, ultra-luxury GV90 Neolun, which has four lounge seats, front seats that swivel 180 degrees when parked and rear coach doors.
Yet, the Neolun’s true triumph lies between the wheels: the complete absence of a B-pillar. The Neolun arch gate, an independently opening centre coach door system, uses a newly developed dual-motion hinge that glides outward before pivoting open.
Eliminating the centre pillar is notoriously difficult because the pillar adds to crash rigidity, but Genesis solved this with a hidden roll cage and dual high-strength steel beams that disperse side impacts without sacrificing unparalleled cabin access. The vehicle also has a 12-airbag system including the world’s first roof airbag.
Underneath this aesthetic engineering feat lies Genesis’s dedicated eMP platform. Power comes from a colossal 123.5-kilowatt-hour battery paired with dual electric motors that produce a combined 657 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Internal tests estimate a driving range of about 500 kilometres, Genesis says, while 350-kW DC fast-charging replenishes the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 22 minutes. It also promises agile handling with dual electronic limited-slip differentials and rear-wheel steering.
The Genesis GV90 will come either as a three-row SUV with traditional doors or in the top trim with coach doors.Miranda Light/The Globe and Mail
Inside, the cabin leans heavily into the Korean ethos of Son-nim —treating passengers as honoured guests. The Neolun also comes with wool cashmere accents, five-millimetre acoustic glass and a pop-up OLED cinematic display for a comfortable and quiet ride.
“Technology alone does not create luxury and design alone does not define luxury,” Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, said in a statement. “The value of innovation lies in transforming the customer experience in intelligent and intuitive ways.”
It is worth noting that this is merely a preview of what is to come; In addition to not knowing the price, we don’t know exactly when the GV90 will be arriving in our local showrooms. But Genesis has certainly delivered a vehicle that demands Europe’s best take notice.
The view from the rear seats on the GV90.Courtesy of manufacturer
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